Aashiyana Housing Scheme Work being carried out in 17 Punjab districts: CM

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that Aashiyana Housing Scheme is the only residential project in the 64 years' history of the country which is meant for the poor, widows, orphans and martyrs.

He said that the entire credit of this scheme goes to Pakistan Muslim League-N which materialised the dream of "Apna Ghar Apni Jannat" of the poor. He said that Aashiyana Housing Scheme is an important step towards realisation of the dream of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal. He said that besides provincial metropolis, the work is also being carried out in other 17 districts of the province.

He was presiding over a meeting held to review the pace of implementation of Aashiyana Housing Schemes in the province, here on Sunday. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Chairman Punjab Land Development Company and Member Provincial Assembly Sheikh Alauddin, Chairman Special Initiatives Haroon Khawaja, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Addl. Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development, Secretaries Finance, Housing, Information and concerned officers attended the meeting. Chief Executive Officer Punjab Land Development Company Momin Agha gave a briefing with regard to progress of the project.

Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that different GORs and housing schemes have been set up for the privilege class of the country but no one ever cared for the poor strata of the society. He said that Punjab government has started Aashiyana Housing Scheme for a common man and the middle class where all such facilities have been provided which were considered the hallmark of residential schemes launched for the elite. He said that this scheme is a role model with regard to quality and transparency. He said huge amounts have been allocated for the construction of colonies and repair of houses of government officers but for the first time government is spending billions of rupees for providing shelter to the poor and common man. He said that in the big colonies and schemes, bank offers loan to the rich for constructing house but widow, artisan, haari, worker, labourer and down-trodden even do not know that to whom they have to approach for obtaining loan. He said that Punjab government has started this revolutionary project for bridging this gap between poor and rich. He said that all human beings have equal right over the land as it belongs to Almighty Allah. He said that a common Pakistani has realised through the project of Aashiyana Housing Scheme that he has as much right over national resources as the elite and Quaid-e-Azam and Iqbal have seen the dream of such Pakistan where everyone has equal right. He said that all hurdles in the way of such projects launched for the under-privileged class have to be removed and these projects will have to be completed speedily. He said that it is a great injustice that a poor man who works hard for the prosperity and development of the country is deprived of basic facilities but there is no hurdle in the way of elite plundering the national resources.

He said that those who committed dacoity of billion of rupees and won the medals of corruption are enjoying power. He said that we have to make Pakistan as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal in real sense and also to include the deprived segments of the society into national mainstream. He said that Punjab government is implementing a comprehensive programme of welfare of the common people and Aashiyana Housing Scheme is a milestone towards this direction. He said that after first Aashiyana Housing Scheme at Saroba Attari, the work on Aashiyana-II in Lahore will also be started soon whereas the process of identification of land for these schemes in 17 other districts of the province has also been completed. He said that in addition to Lahore, work has already been started on these schemes in Faisalabad, Jhelum Sahiwal, Sargodha and Rawalpindi.

Terming the setting up of schools by The Citizens Foundation in Aashiyana Housing Schemes an excellent step of Punjab Land Development Company, the Chief Minister directed that a comprehensive strategy should also be evolved for the promotion of technical education and cottage industry in Aashiyana Housing Schemes so that the job opportunities could be made available to the residents of these schemes near to their houses.